


The Strange Guardian - First Meeting and the Red War

by Lumina1984



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21658954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumina1984/pseuds/Lumina1984
Summary: Lumina is a new guardian who is about to get her first real taste of war.
Relationships: Female Guardian/Zavala (Destiny)
Kudos: 3





	The Strange Guardian - First Meeting and the Red War

Lumina awoke in a field surrounded by derelict cars. She looked around. “This is Earth but what happened?” she asked herself. She stood up and walked along the road, hoping to find any form of life. She spotted a city in the distance. Hovering over it was a white sphere. “Maybe someone there can help me.” She thought to herself. She started walking towards the city.

A few miles up the road, she could see something in the distance, possibly people. As she got closer, she realized that whoever she was looking at was not human. The humanoid figure spotted her and started running towards her, blades at the ready. It jumped at her and knocked her down. It tried to slash her with one of its swords, but Lumina was able to roll away. She stood up and held her hand out. A bright flash of light shot from her hand towards the creature. When the light faded, the creature had been turned to ash. “I have got to get to that city.” Lumina told herself. “I can help you out with that.” A voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw a man wearing armor and a cloak. His face was covered. “You must be a new guardian. Where is your ghost?” the man asked. “Ghost?” Lumina asked. “Yes, ghosts revive fallen warriors. One must have revived you.” The man said. Lumina looked confused. She didn’t understand what he was talking about. “I just woke up a little while ago. There was nothing around. I saw the city and thought that was the best place to go to get some answers.” Lumina said. “Hmm, this is interesting. Somehow, you were revived without a ghost and you seem to have the powers of a guardian. I should take you to see the Vanguard.” The man said. “Thank you. My name is Lumina Arcaidus.” She said. “Nice to meet you. My name is Lance.” He said. He took her hand. “Hold on! We are transporting to my ship.” Lance said. Lumina nodded and held his hand.

An hour later, they arrived at the Tower. At least that’s what Lance called it. “I will be introducing you to the Vanguard. Follow me.” Lance said. Lumina nodded and followed him. They arrived at a room that looked like the command center for the tower. “Got an interesting one for you three. A new guardian that was not revived by a ghost.” Lance said. Lumina saw them look up at her. The woman standing next to Lance was tall with long black hair, pale skin and silver eyes. The man sitting at the head of the table had pale blue skin and glowing blue eyes. To the right, was a woman with dark skin and colorful robes, and to the left, was a robotic man wearing a cloak. “Is this some kind of joke?” the man with pale skin asked. “No, she was revived without a ghost, and somehow, she has abilities like a guardian would.” Lance said. The man walked over to Lumina and looked her over. “This should not be possible. The only thing that has the power to revive are the ghosts, yet you do not have one. Who are you?” the man asked. “My name is Lumina Arcaidus. I woke up just a few hours ago in a field. I saw the city and started heading towards it. Something attacked me on the way though, and then Lance found me and brought me here.” Lumina said. “Lance, you may go. We will take care of her.” The man said. Lumina grabbed Lance’s arm. “Lumina, it’s okay. We are not going to hurt you. My name is Zavala.” He said, holding out his hand. “Lumina, you will be fine with them.” Lance said. Lumina nodded and took Zavala’s hand. “Thank you, Lance. You may go.” Zavala said. Lance nodded. “I’ll see you around Lumina.” He said. Lumina shyly smiled at him. “Lumina, this is Cayde and Ikora.” He said, pointing at the others at the table. “I am going to take her to the Speaker. He might know something about her.” Zavala said. Cayde and Ikora nodded. Zavala had Lumina follow him.

They walked through the tower in the direction of where the Speaker was. “Zavala, who is the Speaker?” Lumina asked. “He speaks for the Traveler and he is the head of the Consensus.” Zavala said. “Consensus, like a council?” Lumina asked. “Something like that. Tell me, do you remember anything from before you were revived?” Zavala asked. Lumina looked at Zavala. “I remember everything.” Lumina said. “Guardians are not supposed to have any memories of their past.” Zavala said. “This just keeps getting better and better.” Lumina said. “I hope that the Speaker can shed some light on this situation.” Zavala said. “So do I.” Lumina said. They walked down a set of stairs.

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of a man wearing white robes and a mask over his face. “Ah, the guardian without a ghost.” The Speaker said. “Word travels fast.” Lumina said. “Come to me child.” The Speaker said. Lumina walked over to the Speaker. He took her hands in his. “This is very strange. You were revived, yet not by a ghost. It appears that you were revived by the Traveler itself.” The Speaker said. “Who is the Traveler?” Lumina said. The Speaker pointed to the white sphere hovering over the city. Being closer to it, there seemed to be something familiar about it. “Speaker, not only was she revived without a ghost, but she has also retained her past memories.” Zavala said. “It appears the Traveler might need her to remember her past. Tell me Lumina, do you have any special abilities?” the Speaker asked. Lumina nodded. “I was born with certain abilities.” Lumina said. “How is it possible for a human to be born with abilities?” Zavala asked. “It is quite simple. She is not human.” The Speaker said. Zavala looked at Lumina. “That is all for now. Come back and speak with me if you wish to learn more.” The Speaker said. Zavala and Lumina nodded and left.

Walking back to the command center, Zavala took a detour to the edge of the tower and sat down on a bench with Lumina. “So, you are not human?” Zavala asked. “Is that going to be a problem?” Lumina asked. “Probably not. Where are you from?” Zavala asked. “Shouldn’t you be asking me these questions in front of the other Vanguards?” Lumina asked. “I want to get a good read on you before I take you back to Ikora and Cayde.” Zavala said. “Oh, sizing me up huh?” Lumina asked. Zavala chuckled a little. “Something like that. Tell me, where are you from?” Zavala asked. “I come from a world known as Arcadia.” Lumina said. “What were you doing on Earth?” Zavala asked. “I was looking for my brother. He was exiled from Arcadia and fled to Earth. I tried to reason with the council, but they wouldn’t listen to me.” Lumina said. “Why was he exiled?” Zavala asked. “Because of who our mother was, me and my brother share a certain power. It makes us more powerful but blinds us in the process.” Lumina said. “What do you mean it blinds you?” Zavala asked. “When we change, everyone becomes an enemy, even our closest friends. We only change though when we feel we have no other way out. But there came a point when my brother couldn’t change back. He killed a few of the council members and that was it. As I said, I tried to get the council to change their mind. In his anger, my brother took it out on me and killed my husband and my two children.” Lumina said. “Lumina, I am sorry that happened to you.” Zavala said. “We were twins. We always knew what the other one was feeling. I couldn’t stand to feel his pain anymore, so I killed him and took his pain away. But then, I couldn’t get back to Arcadia. The way was closed. So, I lost my entire family and my home.” Lumina said. “How did you get to Earth in the first place?” Zavala asked. “Arcadia uses a portal system to get to other worlds. You can’t get to Arcadia without using a portal because it exists outside of the normal universe.” Lumina said. Zavala placed his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get back to the command center.” Zavala said. Lumina nodded and followed him back to the command center.

When they arrived, Ikora and Cayde were waiting to hear the news. “What did the Speaker have to say?” Ikora asked. “The Speaker knew about Lumina before we even went to see him. He confirmed that the Traveler was the one who revived her, and not with a ghost.” Zavala said. “Great, but what does that mean?” Cayde asked. “The Speaker believes that Lumina has a purpose. She will be trained as a Guardian.” Zavala said. “Excuse me. Can you not talk about me like I’m not here? What exactly is a guardian?” Lumina asked. “I apologize Lumina. Guardians are protectors that were granted the light by the Traveler to defend this city and the solar system.” Zavala said. “So, this light grants you certain abilities?” Lumina asked. Zavala nodded. “When we are born again in the light, we do not retain memories of our past.” Zavala said. “Seems like I’m a glitch in the system.” Lumina said. Zavala chuckled a little. Ikora and Cayde gave Zavala a strange looked. Zavala cleared his throat. “Indeed. Why don’t I show you a place where you can rest, and we can start training tomorrow? See what you can do?” Zavala asked. “See what I can do?” Lumina asked. “Guardians are typically separated into three classes. Titans, warlocks, and of course the best, hunters.” Cayde said. “Well, I know what class you are.” Lumina said. “We are given our powers when we are revived by our ghosts, but there’s no telling the outcome with you.” Ikora said. Lumina nodded in agreement. “Why can’t we train now?” Lumina asked. “You sure you’re up for it?” Cayde asked. “Well, I sure as hell didn’t come to the tower just to get sent to my room. There is still plenty of daylight left. Let’s do this!” Lumina said. “Daylight isn’t a problem. We were going to take you to the simulation room.” Ikora said. “You have a simulation room? That is awesome! Wish I would’ve had one of those.” Lumina said. Zavala gestured for them to follow him.

Inside the simulation room, Zavala started up the level one program. “Here, you can use this auto rifle Lumina.” Zavala said, handing her the rifle. Lumina laughed and handed it back to him. “Yeah, I’m not the spray and pray kind.” Lumina said. She held out her hands and a revolver appeared in each hand. There was a queen of hearts on both sides of the revolvers. “You can conjure weapons?” Ikora asked. “I can conjure my weapons. I had these before I died.” Lumina said. Ikora nodded. “This program shouldn’t be to difficult. Let’s see what you can do. Oh, and don’t worry about damage. The room can repair itself.” Cayde said. “Good to know.” Lumina said. “Simulation beginning.” A voice said over the speaker. Lumina readied her weapons. The simulation spawned five creatures. “Hey, I ran into one of these on my way here.” Lumina said. She shot and killed all five of them with ease. “Next!” she said. The next simulation spawned ten creatures. This time, they were gold robots. “These are the Vex. Be careful. Head-shots won’t work in their case. Makes them angry.” Cayde said. “Oh, well I’ve got something for them.” She said. She made her guns disappear and conjured her swords. Lightning swirled around her arms and extended to the swords. She jumped into the middle of the Vex and spun around with her swords out, taking them all down. “Take it easy Lumina. You’re making us look bad.” Cayde said. “Very impressive Lumina.” Zavala said. The next simulation spawned fifteen creatures. “These are the Hive. Careful of the knights. When they put up their shield, they heal.” Cayde said. “Oh dear. Well, I guess that means I just need to catch them off guard.” Lumina said. She jumped up, landed with her swords jamming the floor. A shock-wave sent all the creatures flying into the wall. The blast from the shock-wave and combined with the force in which they hit the wall killed them instantly. “Okay, I want that power.” Cayde said. Lumina smirked. “Anything else?” Lumina asked. “One final simulation.” Zavala said. This time, the simulation spawned a huge creature. “That is an ogre. A mutated thrall.” Cayde said. “Oh, he’s cute. Won’t be for long though.” Lumina said. The ogre ran at Lumina and slammed her against the wall. “Hey, I like it rough but geez.” Lumina said. She swung her swords at the ogre, tearing away at bits of flesh but it wasn’t fazed. The ogre’s head started to light up. It let out a blast of energy that Lumina barely dodged. “Okay, plan b.” Lumina said. She quickly backed away from the ogre and held up her hands. A bright light shone from her hands and blasted the ogre. The light shone brighter as Lumina was having to use more power. The ogre let out a loud scream and turned into ashes. Lumina put her hands down. The three of them looked at her. Her hands and face were covered with a silver liquid. “Lumina, what is that on your face and hands.?” Ikora asked. Lumina looked down at her hands. “Oh, right, silver blood. Can I stop standing now?” Lumina asked, and she fell to the ground, unconscious. Zavala rushed over and picked her up. “Let’s get her to the infirmary.” Zavala said, and they rushed out.

The next morning, Lumina woke up in the infirmary. Zavala was sitting next to the bed. “So, did I win?” Lumina asked. “You did very well. In all my years as a guardian, I have never seen anyone with abilities like yours.” Zavala said. “Where are Ikora and Cayde?” Lumina asked. “They are at the command center. They are waiting to hear about your condition. I must ask, what happened to you? Why did you fall unconscious?” Zavala asked. “I don’t rely on my abilities all the time because they drain me, but you needed to see what I could do, so I did it. Besides, if you hadn’t noticed, I heal rather quickly.” Lumina said. “Indeed. Your bruises and scrapes were almost completely healed when we arrived at the infirmary.” Zavala said. “That’s not all though. May I see your hand?” she asked him. Zavala held out his hand. Lumina conjured a knife in her hand. Zavala jerked back. “What are you doing?” Zavala asked. Lumina smiled at him. “Just trust me.” Lumina said. She took the knife and cut his hand. Then, the knife disappeared, and she put her hand over his. Within seconds, the wound was completely healed. Zavala looked at his hand. “Lumina, that is amazing.” Zavala said. “So, what’s the verdict? What class of guardian do I fall into?” she asked. “There is an issue with that. We do not know. You seem to carry the abilities of all three classes.” Zavala said. “Great, I don’t fit in at all.” Lumina said. “On the contrary, we may have to come up with a new class of guardian because of you, or list you as a multi-class.” Zavala said. “I’d be fine with that.” Lumina said. She sat up on the bed. “We should meet up with Ikora and Cayde.” Lumina said. “You need to rest.” Zavala said. “I’m fine, I promise.” Lumina said. She started to stand up and stumbled. Zavala caught her before she fell to the floor. “Still think you are fine?” Zavala said. Lumina chuckled a little. “Just help me stand up.” Lumina said. Zavala helped her to her feet. She steadied herself and started walking towards the door. “You coming Zavala?” Lumina asked. Zavala nodded and followed her out.

They arrived back at the command center where Ikora and Cayde were waiting impatiently. Lumina found a chair and sat down. “Good morning Lumina. How are you feeling?” Ikora asked. “Better. Guess I should’ve waited on training.” Lumina said. “You need to be careful Lumina. Without a ghost, you may not be able to be revived.” Zavala said. “I know, I’ll be more careful from now on.” Lumina said. “Now, on to discuss your further training. As I stated in the infirmary, it is difficult to assign you a class. How do the two of you feel about assigning her as multi-class?” Zavala asked them. “Wait, multi-class?” Cayde asked. “Do you have a better classification Cayde?” Ikora asked. “No, that just makes her sound better than me.” Cayde said. “Then it’s settled. Lumina, you will be our first multi-class guardian.” Zavala said. Lumina jumped up and gave Zavala a hug. Zavala let out a sigh. Lumina let go and back away from him. “Sorry about that. Thank you!” Lumina said. “Now, onto your first mission.” Zavala said. 

Six months had gone by since Lumina had become a guardian. She had been doing so many missions that the Vanguard were running out of things for her to do. She was heading back to the tower when she received an important message from Commander Zavala. “Hello Lumina. I hope you are doing well.” Zavala said. “Doing just fine Commander. What can I do for you?” Lumina asked. “The Speaker would like a word with you. He says it’s urgent.” Zavala said. “I was already on my way back to the tower.” Lumina said. “Good, I will be there with the Speaker when you arrive.” Zavala said. “Copy that.” Lumina said, and she headed for the landing zone in the tower.

She arrived at the Speaker’s tower and Zavala was waiting there for her. “Glad the storm didn’t give you any trouble.” Zavala said. “Nothing that I couldn’t handle.” Lumina said. Zavala put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. The Speaker walked over to them. “Lumina, it is good to see you. Please, sit with me, both of you.” The Speaker said. Lumina and Zavala sat down with the Speaker. The Speaker held out his hands. “Place your hands in mine Lumina.” The Speaker said. Lumina did as he asked. “There is a reason why you do not have a ghost and why you retained your memories. It is because you did not actually die, rather, you were put in stasis.” The Speaker said. Lumina looked at the Speaker confused. “What do you mean I didn’t die? I remember dying, or rather, I remember being badly wounded.” Lumina said. “Lumina, you are different. If you are badly wounded, your body goes into stasis so it can heal. The Traveler itself brought you out of stasis.” The Speaker said. “But I’ve never heard of anyone experiencing that on Arcadia.” Lumina said. The Speaker turned her arm around to reveal the tattoo on her wrist. “The Ouroboros. You were born with this on your wrist correct?” The Speaker asked. Lumina nodded. “It is a symbol of infinity. Those on Arcadia who are chosen are born with this symbol. You were chosen by the Traveler long before guardians existed.” The Speaker said. “Why is the Traveler familiar to me?” Lumina asked. “Because the Traveler comes from your world. The Traveler is one of the Kahviir. The one that went missing from your world thousands of years ago. You are one of the Traveler’s children.” The Speaker said. “So that means…” Lumina was interrupted by the Speaker. “Yes, the light flows through your veins.” The Speaker said. Lumina stood up and looked at the Traveler. “That is all I have for you. Come back and see me again soon.” The Speaker said. With that, Lumina and Zavala left.

The walk to the command center was quiet. “Lumina, are you alright?” Zavala asked. They stopped at the bench that they had sat on when Zavala first took her to meet with the Speaker and sat down. “It’s a lot of information to process. I’m not sure I quite understand it. I never actually died. I’m not sure if I can die. I am one of the Traveler’s children? The Traveler is from Arcadia. If I were an EXO, my processor would be fried right now.” Lumina said. Zavala laughed. “How is it that you laugh so easily around me?” Lumina asked Zavala. “When I’m around you, I feel like I can let my guard down. Like I don’t have to be a soldier right now.” Zavala said. “That might be a problem if we ever fight together.” Lumina said. “That is much different than being here in the city.” Zavala said. “Fair enough.” Lumina said. Suddenly, Zavala got a call from Ikora. “Zavala, the storm is getting worse. Our systems are going haywire.” Ikora said. “Copy. Call all the guardians back to the tower. Lumina and I are headed your way.” Zavala said. He looked at Lumina and they got up and headed to the command center.

When they arrived, they could see what Ikora meant by the systems going haywire. “So, exactly how long is this storm supposed to last?” Lumina asked. “At least a few hours. I hope everyone makes it back to the city.” Zavala said. “So much for going out on another mission.” Lumina said. “Be thankful for the break Lumina.” Ikora said. Just then, Cayde walked into the command center. “Ikora, if this is some kind of practical joke, I gotta tell you, I’d be really impressed” Cayde said. “Impressing you Cayde is the easiest thing I’ll do all day.” Ikora said. “Let’s get serious people.” Zavala said. “Zavala, this is my serious face. Can’t you tell?” Cayde asked. Lumina chuckled a little. “See, someone gets my jokes.” Cayde said. “Ikora, what have you got?” Zavala asked. “Someone or something has sabotaged the skyline defense systems.” Ikora said. “And coms have been spotty for the last few hours. Every sensor beyond the wall has gone dark.” Cayde said. “Hmm, maybe it’s just the storm.” Zavala said. Lumina walked over to Zavala. “Has this happened before with these storms?” Lumina said. Zavala shook his head. “Hmm, maybe it’s…. what do the sat feeds tell us?” Zavala asked. “Nothing.” Ikora said. “Well nothing is good, right?” Cayde asked. “No, I’m getting nothing because the satellites aren’t there.” Ikora said. “And that’s not good.” Cayde said. Zavala and Lumina looked out the window of the command center. A flash of lightning revealed incoming ships in the clouds. “Battle stations!” Zavala yelled. They saw missiles heading straight for them. “Everyone with me, now.” Zavala yelled. Lumina stuck close to Zavala and he put up his protective shield. Cayde pulled out his gun and started shooting. Just as part of the ceiling was about to fall on Cayde, Ikora ran to him and teleported them both inside Zavala’s shield. Lumina started healing everyone that she could. There were explosions all around them. The ceiling caved in and Zavala’s shield gave out. 

When Lumina woke up, Zavala, Ikora and Cayde were nowhere to be found. Her leg was caught underneath a part of the ceiling. She blasted it away and waited for her leg to heal. Several people were lying on the ground next to her. She checked to see if anyone around her was still alive, but everyone was dead. “I have to get out of here.” Lumina said. She stood up and headed out of the command center.

Walking through the hallways, she looked around for survivors, but everyone she found was dead. She reached the door to the hanger. “I hope my ship is still there.” She said to herself. She walked through the door and saw her ship surrounded by Cabal soldiers. “Damnit! I knew this wasn’t going to be easy!” she said. She moved behind some crates and pulled out her sniper rifle. One by one, she took them down until her ship was free. She ran to it and hopped in and took off. “I’ve got to find the others.” She said to herself. She opened the Vanguard channel on her radio. “This is Guardian Lumina Arcaidus, heading away from the tower. Can anyone here me?” Lumina asked over the radio. Nothing but silence. She tried again. “I repeat, this is Guardian Lumina Arcaidus. The city and the tower have been taken over by the Red Legion. Is anyone still out there?” Lumina asked over the radio. Again, nothing but silence. “Damnit! They can’t all be dead.” She said to herself. She looked for a spot to land on Earth. “Guess I’ll leave the radio on in case anyone else gets the same idea.” She said. She landed and set up camp.

For the next three days, Lumina had been defending her camp from the Fallen and the Red Legion, while still trying to get someone over the radio. She had little food and water and was running out of ideas. “Well, I guess this is how it’s going to end.” She said to herself. She laid down in her tent to go to sleep. As she was about to fall asleep, she heard a voice over the radio. “This is Commander Zavala of the Vanguard. I am calling all guardians that survived the attack to meet at these coordinates on Earth. We will take back our home.” He said, and he gave out the coordinates. Lumina immediately hopped in her ship and flew there.

It was nightfall when she arrived. When she walked into the farm, she saw Lance talking with a few other guardians. “Lance!” she yelled, and she ran over and gave him a hug. “Lumina, I thought you didn’t make it.” Lance said. “I’m not that easy to kill. Where are Zavala and the others?” Lumina asked. Lance pointed to the barn. Lumina gave him another hug, thanked him and headed for the barn.

Lumina walked into the barn just as they were starting to come up with a plan to get inside the city. “Hey, don’t forget about me.” Lumina said. They all looked at her. Zavala walked over to her and pulled her to him and gave her a hug. “Hey big guy. Did you miss me that much?” Lumina asked him. Zavala looked at her and smiled. “Just grateful that you’re alive.” Zavala said. “So am I. After I escaped, I spent three days camped out, hoping to hear anything from anyone. And then I heard the coordinates for this farm, so I came hear as fast as I could.” Lumina said. “It’s good to have you back with us. Oh, this is Hawthorne. She put this safe haven together.” Ikora said. “Nice to meet you Hawthorne and thank you.” Lumina said. “No need for thanks. We all need to help each other out in times of need.” Hawthorne said. “Indeed. Now, what’s the plan?” Lumina asked. “We sneak into the city undetected at three points. Cayde, you will set up the teleporter at this point. Lumina, you will be with Cayde and watch his back while he is setting up the teleporter. Ikora and I will be up there after we have completed our tasks. Of course, before we can do all of this, we need to get a certain guardian on the Almighty to disable its weapon.” Zavala said. Lumina and Cayde nodded. “Any questions?” Zavala asked. Everyone shook their heads. “Good! Get some rest. We attack tomorrow night.” Zavala said. They all nodded and left.

Lumina found a cozy little area to rest for the night where no one would bother her. Well, almost no one. She was just about to lay down when someone came knocking. “Come in.” she said. The door opened and Zavala came in. “Huh, I thought you would still be fine tuning the plan.” Lumina said. “The plan is fine. May I sit down?” he asked. She gestured to have him take a seat. “Lumina, I wanted to apologize for leaving you. If I had known you were still alive, I would have….” He stopped as Lumina put her finger over his mouth. “Zavala, you have nothing to apologize for. I know you. Your priority is the city and its inhabitants. I understand that. Besides, I’m alive and I’m here.” Lumina said. Zavala pulled her to him and hugged her. “Wow! Two hugs in one night. What did I do to deserve this, especially from you?” Lumina asked. Zavala pulled away from her and caressed her cheek with his hand. “You came back to me alive.” Zavala said, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately on the lips. Lumina wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled him. Zavala removed the cloak around her neck and started softly kissing her neck. Lumina let out a soft moan. His lips felt warm against her skin. “Lumina, let me spend tonight with you.” Zavala whispered. “If I let you, then what? What would that mean for us?” Lumina asked. Zavala met her eyes with his. “It means if we survive tomorrow night, we never have to spend our nights alone ever again.” Zavala said. “We will survive tomorrow.” Lumina said as she leaned in and kissed him. 

The next morning, Lumina woke up to Zavala’s arms wrapped around her. She placed her hands on his and he stirred. “Is it morning already?” Zavala asked. Lumina turned to face him. “Unfortunately, it is.” Lumina said. She leaned in and kissed him, and he held her close to him. “Zavala, you’re holding onto me like it’s going to be the last time.” Lumina said. “It might very well be.” Zavala said. “Don’t think like that. I have faith in you, and I have faith in your plan. We will retake the city and defeat the Red Legion.” Lumina said. “You have no idea how much better that makes me feel.” Zavala said. Lumina smiled at him. “We better get up and get ready.” Lumina said. “Not yet, we still have some time.” Zavala said, and he pulled Lumina on top of him.

Later that morning, Zavala and Lumina met Ikora, Cayde and Hawthorne in the barn. They were going over the plans to retake the city. “Did everyone get enough rest?” Zavala asked. They all nodded. “Good, how are we on disabling the Almighty’s weapon?” Zavala asked. “This morning, the guardian procured a ship from one of the Red Legion’s bases and headed to the Almighty. We’re awaiting confirmation that the weapon was disabled.” Ikora said. “Excellent! Cayde, are you absolutely certain that you can get the Vex teleporter working?” Zavala asked. “Of course, I can.” Cayde said. “Lumina, Hawthorne, you both have your orders.” Zavala said. “Watch Cayde’s back while he sets up the teleporter. That’s gonna be my whole night.” Lumina said. Zavala chuckled a little. Cayde pulled Lumina to the side. “Hey, what is going on with you and Zavala? Every time you’re around, he seems different. Not that I care or anything.” Cayde said. “If something were going on, it would be none of your business.” Lumina said. “Okay, I get it.” Cayde said. Lumina laughed. “Okay, lets make final preparations and head to the city.” Zavala said. Everyone nodded and started heading out of the barn. “Lumina, can I see you for a moment?” Zavala asked. Lumina nodded and walked over to him. Zavala pulled her to him and kissed her. “Zavala, what if someone sees?” she asked him. “I wanted one last kiss before we head out, and I don’t care if someone sees.” Zavala said. She smiled at him and caressed his cheek with her hand. “Come back to me.” Lumina said. “And you to me.” Zavala said. With that, she left the barn. Zavala let out a sigh.

When she walked out of the barn, Cayde came up behind her. “I knew it. I was looking for him last night and I couldn’t find him, and then the two of you show up together, and then….” Cayde was stopped by Lumina. “Okay, fine! Are you happy?” Lumina asked. “Are you happy? Is he happy? Are you both happy?” Cayde asked. “Yes.” Lumina said. “Then that’s all that matters. Let’s get this party started.” Cayde said. Lumina let out a sigh. Zavala walked up behind them. “You two, this is no time for idle chatter. Get ready to go.” Zavala said. “Yes commander.” Lumina said. They started walking towards the ready zone. Cayde started laughing. “What’s so funny?” Lumina asked. “Commander, he’s gonna hold that over your head.” Cayde said. “Oh, shut up! Let’s hurry and meet up with Hawthorne.” Lumina said. Cayde nodded.

Everyone had made it to their entry points and were awaiting confirmation from the guardian aboard the Almighty. “Lumina, we received word that the Almighty’s weapon has been disabled. Prepare to enter the city.” Zavala said over the radio. “Copy, we are heading in.” Lumina said. They were able to slip inside the wall undetected. “Okay, we need to get you two to the rendezvous point.” Hawthorne said. “It won’t be easy. There are about 2 billion Red Legion between us and the rendezvous point.” Lumina said. “You just leave that to me and Colonel.” Cayde said. “I never thought I would see the day when my life was in the hands of a chicken.” Lumina said. Cayde took Colonel and moved to the shadows. He used Colonel as a distraction to take down the Red Legion guards. “What’s that now, seven?” Hawthorne asked. “Eh, who needs the light when you’ve got a fine feathered friend by your side. Am I right? I’m right.” Cayde said. They ran up the streets a little further and took cover. Hawthorne used her sniper scope to look around. Cayde pointed at the top of a building. “Yeah, that’s the rally point where me and Lumina will set up the teleporter. Zavala and Ikora should be at their marks by now.” Cayde said. “Zavala, we’re in position.” Hawthorne told Zavala over the radio. “As are we. Ikora, ready when you are.” Zavala said. “Copy. Fire in the hole.” Ikora said. After Ikora said that, there was an explosion and gun fire. The Cabal turned on the spotlights. “Ok, let’s go.” Hawthorne said, and everyone moved forward. “Zavala, we’re coming around.” Ikora said over the radio. Zavala took this chance to move his people forward. He ran at a Cabal and started wrestling with it. He was able to maneuver the Cabal’s weapon and shoot it in the head. Then, he took the weapon and shot another one, but one flanked him and knocked him to the ground. Hawthorne shot the Cabal and ran over to help Zavala to his feet. “What is it with you guardians falling down all the time?” Hawthorne asked as she helped Zavala up. “Where are Cayde and Lumina?” Zavala asked, running to cover with Hawthorne. She held her sniper rifle up to the rally point. “If they’re sticking to the plan, they’re right where they need to be. Now we just gotta get you and Ikora up there with them.” Hawthorne said. They started running towards the rally point. Suddenly, a shield was put up to block their way. “Well this changes things. I’ll work on this, you need to get moving!” Hawthorne said. “Ikora, Cayde is in place and I’m on route. Good luck, guardian.” Zavala said. 

At the rally point, Cayde sat the teleporter on the ground while Lumina kept watch for Cabal. “You sure you can get that thing working?” Lumina asked. “Oh yeah, piece of cake.” Cayde said. A few Cabal started running towards their position. “Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.” Lumina said. She started shooting at the Cabal. “Just keep them off me long enough for me to get this thing set up. Zavala and Ikora should be up here shortly to help.” Cayde said. Lumina pulled out her swords as she saw more Cabal closing in on their position. She jumped over to them and slashed their throats. One of them jumped over to where Cayde was. “Geez, they’re coming from all sides.” Lumina said, jumping over and taking down the one that was by Cayde. Just then, one came out from behind a building and shot off Cayde’s arm. “Zavala, Ikora, we could really use your help up here because they just shot off my arm.” Cayde said over the radio. Lumina saw more coming from that direction. She jumped up and landed in the middle of them and a shock-wave sent the Cabal flying. Just then, Zavala arrived at the rally point. “Need some help?” Zavala asked. “I am so glad to see you. Where’s Ikora?” Lumina asked. “She should be here shortly.” Zavala said. He turned around and started shooting Cabal that were coming up behind him. Lumina put away her swords and drew her pistols and stood at Zavala’s back and started shooting. More and more Cabal were storming their position. Ikora had finally made it to the rally point. “Well, at least if we are going to die, we’ll die together.” Zavala said. “At least we will die in the shadow of the Traveler.” Ikora said. “We’re about to die and you’re still making speeches?” Cayde asked. Just then, a Cabal jumped over to Lumina’s position and knocked her against the wall. She tried to get up, but she couldn’t. The Cabal walked over to her and drew its gun on her. Zavala shot the Cabal and ran over to her and placed her in his arms. “It was fun while it lasted.” Lumina said. Zavala smiled at her. “It’s not over yet.” Zavala said. He shielded Lumina with one of his arms and started shooting Cabal from his position. The guardian who was going to take out Ghaul had finally appeared. “Guardian, we can’t go with you. You will have to make this trip on your own.” Zavala said. “Good luck guardian.” Ikora said. Cayde made some final adjustments on the teleporter and sat down. “There a nearly stable, working Vex teleporter.” Cayde said. “The guardian nodded and jumped in the teleporter.

Ikora walked over to where Zavala and Lumina were and sat down next to them. “How is she?” Ikora asked. “She’ll be fine. She just needs a minute to heal.” Zavala said. Lumina buried her head in Zavala’s chest. “I didn’t realize the two of you were….” Ikora stopped. “We weren’t until the other night.” Zavala said. “I was wondering where you had run off to.” Ikora said. “I didn’t realize how much I cared about her until I saw her walk into the barn and saw that she was unharmed. I felt guilty for leaving her in the tower.” Zavala said. “And I’m sure she told you that there was nothing for you to feel guilty about.” Ikora said. “She did.” Zavala said. Suddenly, Lumina opened her eyes. She sat up next to Zavala. “Are you alright Lumina?” Zavala asked. She smiled and nodded. “Good as new.” Lumina said. Cayde walked over and sat down with them. “You okay to finish this Lumina? Cayde asked. Lumina nodded. “Let’s take back our home.” Lumina said.

A few hours later, they had cleared the rest of the city of the Red Legion. Now they waited for the guardian to take down Ghaul and free the Traveler. Lumina looked up at the Traveler. “I should be up there with him. I still have my abilities. I could’ve helped.” Lumina said. Zavala walked over to her and put his arm around her. “You did help. You covered Cayde while he set up the teleporter and helped clear the city of the Red Legion.” Zavala said. “So, it looks like you will have to keep your promise to me.” Lumina said. “I attend to.” Zavala said. Lumina smiled at him. Just then, there was a flash of light from over where the Traveler was. The light changed into Ghaul. The cage around the Traveler started breaking, and within seconds, the Traveler was freed and used its light to take down Ghaul. It was finally over, and because of this, the Traveler was now awake. Cheering could be heard throughout the city, as Ghaul disappeared, and the light returned to the guardians. “I almost gave up hope. I didn’t think I would feel the light ever again.” Zavala said. Lumina caressed his cheek with her hand. “I knew the light would return.” Lumina said. Zavala looked at her puzzled. “I’ll tell you later.” Lumina said. Zavala nodded. “Let’s head to the tower.” Zavala said.

Back at the tower, they all stood at the railing and looked out at the city. The sun was starting to come up and they could see all the damage that had been done to the city. “Looks like we have our work cut out for us.” Lumina said. “The walls of the city will stand fortified once again.” Zavala said. “We lost a lot of good guardians in this war.” Ikora said. “Yes, but we gained some new ones.” Zavala said as Hawthorne walked over to them. “I don’t think I will get used to being up here.” Hawthorne said. “It’s not so bad.” Cayde said. Just then, the guardian that defeated Ghaul appeared and joined them. “You did us proud today guardian.” Zavala said. The guardian took off his helmet and to Lumina’s surprise, it was Lance. She ran to him and gave him a hug. “I can’t believe it was you. Why didn’t you tell me?” Lumina asked. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Lance said. Lumina smiled at him. “The city is safe, and we have our light back. We can get some much-needed rest and start repairs on the city and the tower tomorrow.” Zavala said. Lumina walked over to Zavala and he put his arms around her and kissed her. “Let’s go home and get some rest.” Zavala said. “Sounds good to me.” Lumina said, and the two of them left.

Several months had passed since the Red War. The city walls had been rebuilt and life was getting back to normal. Well, as normal as life as a guardian can get. Many guardians were lost, and many found strength that they didn’t think they had without the light. Zavala found that even those without the light can be guardians. Ikora found a better understanding of herself and of the universe. Cayde, well, Cayde found that while going solo can be fun, sometimes it’s best to have friends at your side. Lumina not only found love in the oddest of places, but she found a place that she could finally call home. She may never find out what happened to Arcadia, but there was no need anymore. She had found her new Arcadia. One that she was willing to fight for until the end of her days.


End file.
